In the mid-50s, a sunburst finish was not an available option on a Les Paul. In 1958, Goldtops were phased out and a cherry sunburst became the standard finish. Sunburst finishes became all the rage with some really popular artists such as Clapton and Bloomfield using late 50s 'Bursts. The single-cut Gibson Les Paul electric guitars were discontinued in '60-'61 and were not reintroduced for several years. Many players started stripping the gold off the top of their early-mid 50s Les Paul guitars and would have them refinished to emulate the desirable sunburst Les Pauls. The Gibson Custom Refin Hot-Mod features a beautiful sunburst top and even has an offset center seam to emulate the originals.

The hot-mod angle on the Gibson Custom Refin Hot-Mod 1955 Les Paul electric guitar is based on the idea of a 1955 Les Paul that was later modified with humbucker pickups (introduced by Gibson in 1957). The classic combination of the mapled-topped mahogany body with wraptail bridge and humbuckers delivers a glorious monster tone that introduces a comfortable and resonant neck profile.

BurstBucker humbuckersThe BurstBucker 1 neck humbucker replicates the sounds from Gibson's original "Patent Applied For" pickups, are slightly underwound, with medium "vintage" output. The BurstBucker 2 is a humbucking pickup wound in the range of Gibson's '57 Classic for replica sound. Unpolished magnets and non-potted coils, just like the original. Slightly hotter than the BurstBucker 1, the 2 works well in the bridge position with a BurstBucker 1 pickup in the neck position.

TonePros "Wraptail" Bridge/TailpieceThe TonePros "Wraptail" vintage-style one-piece wraparound bridge/tailpiece has locking steel studs mounted into long steel anchors for superior tone transference. A classic piece of hardware, the wraparound bridge/tailpiece on the '55 Les Paul Guitar offers a simplicity and functionality that is hard to match. It provides a firm seating for the strings, allowing the player to adjust intonation and string height as needed. This yields an incredible union between the strings and body, resulting in excellent tone and sustain.Soft Shoulder '55 Neck ProfileThe Soft Shoulder '55 neck profile makes the Gibson Les Paul Refin Hot-Mod sit in your hand like no other guitar neck. Gibson's guitar team chose a '55 Les Paul that had a neck with a "magical feel" to serve as a model for the Soft Shoulder '55 neck. The depth is the same from the top of the fretboard to the back of the neck as the rounded '50s neck, yet has gently sloping sides that sit comfortably in your hand.

Year of 1955 Innovation1955 was a year of great innovation in all areas of American life. 1955 saw the dawn of the United States space program. The first of the classic V8Chevrolets hit dealerships all over the country, reflecting the spirit of change that was in the air. And don't forget the birth of Rock and Roll! Jukeboxes were blasting music by Bill Haley, Chuck Berry, a kid named Elvis, and his guitar player Scotty Moore.

Something was afoot. The archetypical tones of this music had already been forged in the Gibson Guitar Factory. There, in 1955, the future sonic masterpiece known as the humbucking pickup was being prototyped. All the ingredients necessary to create the soundtrack of the next quarter century and beyond existed within that building.